Presentation: Speaking Truth to Power: A Participatory Seminar to Explore the Challenges of Project Managers When The News is Bad
Abstract: As leaders within the organization, Project Managers often face difficult situations and realities in the workplace when confronted with the dilemma of whether or not to speak or report on not-so-good news or updates or any information that could raise the ire of senior management.
As Project Managers – as human beings – our choices to either stay silent, to cover up, or ignore what is truly going on with our projects can have a lasting, powerful impact on our lives. Under these difficult circumstances and as part of our survival mechanism, we develop certain coping skills to grapple with understanding and navigating power and status differences – that is to say, what is okay to say and what is not, who we should and need to listen to and who we should not. These coping skills then affect our participation at work and how more or less we are at peace with ourselves.
This session will be participatory. Prior to the seminar, participants are encouraged to read the book entitled “ How to Get Executives to Act for Project Success: Building a Strong Mutual Partnership” by Michael O’Brochta. In this book, the author describes how project managers can get their executives to act, and identifies executive actions most likely to contribute to project success.
PMI Talent Triangle: Leadership
Biography: This year marks Harry Zolkower’s 11th year as a professional project manager with many years of expertise in IT and all sectors of business, both public and private, for-profit and non-profit.
Currently, Harry is a project manager for Acumen Solutions, a consulting firm that specializes in Salesforce project implementations.
Harry holds a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore and a B.A. from St. John’s College. He is also a certified PMP and Certified Scrum Master.
